Gary Scott Beatty's HALLOWEEN MOVIE PICKS

Again this week I'm working on projects I cannot talk about! Rather than skip an email during Halloween month I'll talk about the movies I've been watching with revered wife, Carol. Carol enjoys clever writing with solid characters and creative filming. She does not enjoy horror movies per se. Mood over gore is essential.   +++   I usually abhor film adaptions that ignore the source material, but The Haunting of Hill House is so brilliantly written and acted it can be enjoyed on its own merits. Writer and Director (always a good sign) Mike Flanagan uses measured buildup, subtle reveals, and realistic character studies to make this one of the only made-for-Netflix horror offerings that should be on your must see list. As stunning as the film adaption is, the Shirley Jackson book (you knew I was going to say this) is better. The intensity of the characters nearly drove Carol away, which is really interesting. It wasn't the horror fantasy elements that disturbed her, it was the human story. We're up to chapter four now and she's intrigued. I'm sure we'll get through all 10 chapters. I see Mike Flanagan has a new haunting series up now, The Haunting of Bly Manor. That's most definitely on my own watch list. The Haunting of Hill House is on Netflix. https://www.netflix.com/ +++   The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (1966) is one of Don Knotts' forays into full length movies and, honestly, should be funnier than it is. All of the elements are there for a good comedy and Don Knotts (Barney Fife on The Andy Griffith Show) gives it his all in every scene. There simply aren't enough jokes per minute. I blame the writers. Some clever wordplay, puns, chuckles every few minutes would have made this a must-see Halloween tradition. The Ghost and Mr. Chicken is free with ads on PeacockTV. https://www.peacocktv.com/ +++   We decompress after scary stuff with Halloween-themed comedy and tried some Bewitched, an extremely popular TV series that ran eight seasons starting in 1964. This one is hit-or-miss, sometimes embarrassingly ridiculous. Actress Elizabeth Montgomery is a treasure, as are many, many of the guest stars. Husband Darrin, asserting his manhood trying to keep his wife's talents under wraps, is a real dick. Bewitched is free with ads on Crackle. https://www.crackle.com/watch/342/ +++ Misinformation has reached preposterous proportions on social media but will soon subside after the United States election Tuesday, November 3. Some posters need to vent, my wife tells me, but they don't have to vent at you. Turn them off. They have nothing to offer you. (If you are at least half sane, we need you to vote. Be sure you are registered.) In glorious service to our Aazurn overlords, Gary Scott Beatty StrangeHorror.com